Electric ignition system.



T.-HUBERT & 0. E. LOGKWO ODI ELECTRIC IGNITION SYSTEM. APPLICATION FILED AUG. 5, 1909.

909 17 Patented Mar. 24, 1914. I v2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

WJi/MIe-w zo 8 W00 Wfoz 5 T. HUBERT & C. E. LOGKWOOD.

ELECTRIC IGNITION SYSTEM. urmonxo'n FILED we. 5, 1909.

1,0909 1 7, Patented Mar. 24, my;

' 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Merl? and CZZac/i waml UNITED srrAtrEs EATENT OFFICE.

THEODORE'HUIBER'I, OF CRANFORD, AND CHARLES E. LOCKWOOD, 0F PLAINFIELD, NEW JERSEY; SAID HUBER/.1. ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, T0 AMERICAN CIRCULAR LOOM COMPANY, OF PORTLAND, MAINE, A CORPORATION OF MAINE.

ELECTRIC IGNITION SYSTEM.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, Tnnooons HUnan'r andCiiAnLicsE. LOCKWOOD, citizens of the United States, and residents of Cranford and Plainfield, respectively, in the county of Union and State of New Jersey, have mvented certain new and useful Improyements in Electric Ignition Systems, of which the following is a specification.

In some ignition systems for gas engines a battery and a magneto or dynamo operate through the primary coil of t ie same transformer, and spark plugs are maintained in the circuit of the secondary of the transformer. When the switch in the battery circuit is opened a discharge in the primary of .the'transformer occurs,.andsparks W1 1 jump at the plugs. This is liable to occur at a time when the pistons ofone or more cylinders are not in proper. position to receive the resultin explosion of gas n the cylinders, hence here is danger of 1n ury to arts of the engine.

he object of our invention 15. to provide means to prevent sparks ,from' pimpingat the plugs at the moment ofsuch brea in the battery circuit, and to this end we provide means, operated upon turning the switch, to short circuit or break thecircuit of the secondary of the transformer.

Our invention also com rises novel details of improvement that will is more fully hereinafter set forth and then pointed out in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming part hereof, wherein- Figure 1 is a dia rammatic view of an ignition system em odying our improvements. Fig. 2 is a face view of the switch, looking from the opposite side of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is an edge view of the switeh partly in section, and Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic view of a modification.

At 1 is ,indicated generally a suitable switch, shown provided with contacts 2, 3, for conncctionwiththe lines 4, 5, of the circuit of battery 0, and with contacts 7, 8. for connection with the conductors 7", 8, of a magneto or dynamo. The switch member or contact 9 connected with the button or handle 'lO-is adapted to closethecircuitbe tween contacts 2, 3, and 7 to include the battery or the o i in the fi'circuit. The conductorti" .0 the bat- 8 "respectively, ther enerator Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed August 5, 1009. Serial No. 611,418.

Patented Mar. 24, 1914.

tery circuit leads to the primary winding 11 of the transformer. The circuit of the battcry,-as .well as that of the other generator, is opened and closed by a timer in any usual or suitable manner. As shown, conductor 4-" leading from winding 11 is connected with a movable contact 12 adapted to engage a contact 13 in circuit with battery wire 5, and arotative arm 14 acting upon lever is that carries contact 12 serves to make and break the circuit at the proper time at contacts 12, 13. The secondary winding 11 of the transformer is in circuit with the sparkphws 16.

As so far described, the parts may be of usual or suitable construction adapted for ignition systems of gas engines.

" At 17 18, are contacts associated with the terminals of the corresponding,secondary corresponding contact 17,18, and arranged either to short circuit winding 11, as in Fig. 1, before contact 0 leaves contact 2, when the break in the battery circuit occurs or to break the circuit of winding 11" before such break occurs in the circuit of the battery, as in Fig. 4.

At 21 is a rotative member or cam operated by key 10 coincidental with the operation of contact 0, for which purpose member 21 may be suitably connected with or formed integrally with the stem 1 of switch 1. Member 21 is shown provided with a projection 21", adapted to operate contact .20, said contact being shown carried by an arm 20 pivotally sup orted at 22 upon the part 28 that carries tie switch (which may be the box that contains the transformer), and arm 20" is shown normally maintained in proper position with respect to member 21 y spring 24. Arm 20" is shown rovided with a projection 20" to be engage by pro- :z%cti0n-21.of member 21 for rocking arm 1 ,-,With reference to Figs. 1, 2 and 8, the relative arrangement of parts is such that when-contact 0 engages contacts 2 and 3 the. contact 20 willbc outof engagement with contacts 17 and 18, and current from the battery may flow through transformer 11 as usual, but when contact 9 is turned (to the left in Fi 1) and just as it leaves contact 201'. 3,'tTie projection 21, acting uponprojection 20", wil have moved arm 20* to cause 'contact'QO to engage contacts 17 and 18 to short circuit coil 11, so that when a discharge occurs in coil 11 at the break between contacts 9 and 2 or 3 the induced currentcaused by the break-of the battery circuit will, by reason of such short circuit, revent sparks from jumping. at the spur: )ill' S. When contact 9 moves farther to the left to en age contacts 7 and 8the rojcction .21 Will. leave projection (Fperinit contact 20 to breac tie circuit at contacts 17, 18,101 proper operation of the other generator circuit to produce from-contacts 17, 18,'"as in dotted 'linesiin sparks at the spark. plugs.

.The foregoing descri tion applies to one of the arms 20", as at t to left in Fig. 1, but similar action occurs with"rc'spect to contacts 17,18 and 20 at the right of Fig. 1, viz: Just as contact 9 leaves contact 2 or 3, the projection 21" at -the rightengaging the adjacent end of ar1n20", moves its'contact. 20 intoengagement with contacts 17 and -18 to short circuit the. coil 11' at the right to prevent sparks jumpling'at the corresponding spark plugs, an when contact 9 moves art ierto the left to engage contact 7 and 8 the-aforesaid projection 21* Will leave the adjacent projection of'arm 20" and 1permit the corresponding contact 20 to hreac the circuit at contacts 17, 18 at the right, as describcd'with respect'to the parts at the left. -'In other words, both arms 20' are operated simultaneously during the rotation of contact 9; This aHplics to the illustration of Fig. 1 adapte for a four cylinder engine, )ut it the system is in stulledin a two cylinder engine, then but one-half of the devices described will be used. W hen switch 0 is again turned back toward contacts 2, 8, the projection 21* .will ride under projection 20" to restore the parts to the normal positions shown in Fig.

in full lines.

In Fig. 4 the parts are so arranged-that when contact 9 engages contacts 2, 8, or 7 and 8, the contact 20 will be in enga cment with contacts 17 and 18 to close tie corresponding circuit of secondary winding 11". In this case contact 20 is insulated from arm 20, as by suitable insulation 20, and when contact moves away from contacts 2, 8, the projection 21 acting 'upon projection .20 will move contact 20" away Fig. 4, and when-member121 has been turned lease" projectio'n' 20 and contact" 20 will move back to contacts 17 and 18 for closing the circuit of the secondary winding when contact 0 engages contacts 7 and 8. On the reverse movement of contact 9 the parts will be restored to their proper positions.

While in Figs. 1 and 4 we have shown two transformers, four spark plugs (one for each cylinder) and two arms 20" operated by two pro ections from memberfll, which is designed for a four cylinder gas engine, it will be understood that for a two cylinder gas engine one of the arms 20 and the corresponding transformer, etc., need not housed, and that for an engine having more than four cylinders the circuits will he correspondingly arranged in well known manner.

The timer shown in Figs, 1 and 4 may be utilized in con'unction with the arrangements set forth, ior a four-cylinder engine, in manner substantially the same as set forth in Letters Patent No. 1,064,329 granted to '1. Hubert, June 10, 1913.

Having now described our invention what we claim is:

1. An electric ignition system com arising a generator circuit includinga transiormer, a switch to control said circuit, and means controlled by said switch for preventin the discharge from the secondary winding 0? the transformer through the ignition circuit upon breakingsaid generator circuit.

2. An electric ignition system comprising a circuit including a generator and a transformer, spark plugs in the circuit of the secondary of the transformer, contacts associated with the secondary of the transformer, a contact to open and close the circuit at the first named contacts, a switch for the first named circuit, and means controlled by said switch for operating the second named contact to make and break the circuit through said first named contacts upon a break in the circuit by said switch.

8. An electric ignition system comprising a circuit including a generator and a transformer, a switch to control said circuit, an arm, means to operate said arm by said switch, a contact controlled by said arm, and contacts associated with the secondary winding of the transformer to co-act with the first named contact.

4. An electric ignition system comprising a circuit including a generator and a transformer, a switch to control said circuit,s ark plugs connected with the secondary o the transformer, and means controlled b said switch for short circuiting the trans ormer secondary winding upon said generator circuit being broken.

5. An electric ignition system com risin a circnitincluding a generator and t e mmary winding of a transformer, a switc to control said circuit, a member operated by with a movable member and contacts spaced apart to be engaged by the movable member of the switch, one of the aforesaid contacts being connected with a circuit including a battery and the primary winding of a transanother of the aforesaid contacts being adapted for connection with the windsaid switch, an arm operated by said member, a contact controlled by said arm, and contacts associated with the secondary Winding of said transformer to be engaged by I the first named contact for preventing the i windin through the plugs as the circuit of said generator is broken. mg of a magneto or dynamo, contacts asso- (3. An electric ignition system comprising I elated withthe secondary wlndlng of said a circuit including a generator and the pri- I transformer, a movable member operated with the movable member of said switch,

circuit upon a break at the switch in the first named circuit.

Signed at New York city, New York and State of New day of August, A. D. 1909.

THEODORE HUBERT. CHARLES E. LOCKWOOD.

in the county of York, this 2nd circuit through said contacts Witnesses: upon further movement of the switch. RALPH H. RAPHAEL,

7. The combination of a switch provided T. F. BOURNE. 

